


Ignition

by ami_ven



Series: firemen!verse [1]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Community: 24_times, Episode Tag, Episode: s04e05 Divide and Conquer, Episode: s06e19 The Changeling, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-12
Updated: 2014-03-12
Packaged: 2018-01-15 11:14:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1302847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ami_ven/pseuds/ami_ven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When she transferred to Engine One, Sam had not expected to fall in love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ignition

**Author's Note:**

> written for LJ community "24_times" table one, prompt #23 "in time"
> 
> (These are posted here in publication order— for chronological order, check out the LJ [master post](http://ami-ven.livejournal.com/192329.html))

When Sam had transferred to Engine One, she had expected hard work, long hours, and the usual frustrations of being a woman in a male-dominated field.

She had not expected the immediate and intense attraction to her new station chief.

He was too old, for a start— while at the same time, capable of acting completely immature. He was cynical, and sarcastic, and _impossible_.

And she had worked too hard to get as far as she had in her career to risk her reputation by developing a crush on Jack O'Neill.

Her plan would have been successful, too, if she hadn't proceeded to fall hopelessly in love with the man.

Because, really, it was hard not to. Yes, there was an age gap, but then Jack would give her that boyish smile that made Sam want to giggle like a schoolgirl. He could be downright diabolical during training, but he'd move mountains for his people, without a second thought. And he was the only man she had ever met who could treat her like a colleague but still make her feel more like a woman than just 'one of the boys'.

Still, it took a warehouse fire for her to admit that it was love, even to herself.

Sam and Jack were the last ones inside the building, doing a final sweep, when the ceiling above collapsed between them.

"Chief!" cried Sam.

Jack was cut off from the exit— the fallen chunks of debris were so hot they could see the metal rebar glowing.

"Go, Carter!" he ordered.

She ignored him, pulling out her fire axe and starting to break apart the concrete.

"Go, Carter!" Jack repeated, but she shook her head.

Sweat rolled down her neck, and Sam was beginning to feel lightheaded, but she wouldn't go. She couldn't. Not without him.

"No!" she yelled, and for a heartbeat that felt like forever, they simply stared at each other.

Then, suddenly, there was fresh air. T and Ferretti's team from Engine Two had broken through the back loading docks, and quickly had the fire out.

Later, when they were both sitting on the bumper of the ambulance, divested of their gear and left alone with oxygen masks and stern instructions from the EMTs, Jack caught her wrist lightly.

"Why, Carter?"

There were any number of things she might have said, things that wouldn't need to change anything between them. But she couldn't. There was nobody there but Jack, and he deserved the truth.

"Because..." she whispered, oxygen mask forgotten. "Because I'd rather have died with you than live without you."

For a long, shuddering moment, he didn't move. Then, Sam found herself being kissed more gently than she ever had been in her life.

"And I thought it was just me," murmured Jack and she wondered, dazedly, why she hadn't realized she was in love with this man sooner.

Sam laughed and kissed him, slowly. 

And ten minutes later, the EMTs wondered why they were still out of breath.

THE END


End file.
